Official Newsletter of the Marshall University Alumni Association | July 2021 |
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Diversity – Integrity – Loyalty – Pride – Respect |
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If you are a fan of the warm block of months that make up the middle of our calendar, aka summer, you may want to scroll down to the next bit of news and updates from your Alumni Association. This welcome message may not be for you.
Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with summer. It is warm. It is great for vacations. It is a wonderful time for most of us to be outside.
But - and we are sorry to say this summer fans - it isn't fall. Fall is special at any university, but it is especially important this year.
Fall is when students return to campus after a year away due to the pandemic. Fall is when we return to tailgates and 100 percent capacity at football games. Fall is when we get to celebrate our national title winning soccer team. Fall is when Marshall comes to life. And we can't wait.
So enjoy the the next month and a half. Soak up the sun and get outside. Because when the air starts to cool and the leaves start to change, that is when Marshall University takes the centerstage!
Enjoy reading this edition of Sons & Daughters. GO HERD!
Office of Alumni Relations
Matt Hayes
Larry Crum
Kasey Stevens
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Search for Marshall University's next president underway |
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Citing the hope to have a new university president named by the end of October, the Marshall University Board of Governors recently approved a resolution spelling out the search process and timeline.
Board Chairman Patrick Farrell, discussing the resolution after an executive session, said the process will steer the university toward selection of its 38th president.
“It is the board’s intent to conduct the most inclusive and transparent presidential search that has ever been done at Marshall University,” Farrell said. “We will keep our entire university community and the public informed through multiple media channels including a robust presidential search website, where you can find details about the process and any updates we have along the way.”
President Jerome A. “Jerry” Gilbert announced in April that he will not seek an extension of his contract, which triggered the search.
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Homecoming 2021 set for Saturday, October 9
After a year away, we know you are all excited and ready to return to campus to celebrate Marshall University.
We look forward to you joining us on Saturday, October 9 for the Homecoming game as the Thundering Herd takes on ODU at 2:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
This year we are "Back and Better Than Ever!" so don't miss the biggest Marshall bash of the year! Visit HerdAlum.com in the coming weeks for a full schedule! |
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College of Business Dean Avi Mukherjee named interim provost at Marshall |
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Dr. Avinandan (Avi) Mukherjee, dean of the Lewis College of Business, has been named interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at Marshall University. Mukherjee replaces Dr. Jaime Taylor, who is stepping down to assume the presidency at Lamar University in Texas.
Marshall President Dr. Jerome A. “Jerry” Gilbert made the Mukherjee announcement in June.
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Athletic director Mike Hamrick to assume new role; O'Malley appointed interim athletic director |
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Marshall University President Jerome A. Gilbert announced the university’s long-time athletic director Mike Hamrick is stepping down June 30 to assume a new role at the university.
Gilbert said he has appointed Jeff O’Malley, associate director of athletics and chief of staff, to serve as interim athletic director, effective July 1.
Gilbert announced in April he would not seek an extension of his own contract and will step down in July 2022. He said today that the interim appointment of O’Malley would permit the university’s next president to participate in the selection process for a new athletic director.
On July 1, Hamrick will assume the role of special assistant to the president for one year, where he will be focused on fundraising and facilities planning for the university’s previously announced baseball stadium project.
“Mike Hamrick has done an excellent job as athletic director and I am disappointed he is no longer able to serve in that capacity,” said Gilbert. “In his role as special assistant to the president, I will be working with him and others to raise money, and to plan for facilities and other improvements for the university.”
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Bill Noe Flight School ready to take flight this fall
Aviation and aviation maintenance are some of today’s highest-demand occupations, and the new Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School is ready to help students fulfill their dreams. Learn more about our aviation programs at www.marshall.edu/aviation. |
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Dampier named dean of College of Engineering and Computer Sciences |
Dr. David A. Dampier has been appointed as dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences at Marshall University, effective July 3. Dampier has served as interim dean for the past year and previously served as associate dean for research and a professor of computer science at Marshall.
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MU soccer in final four of voting for ESPY award
The Marshall University soccer team is in the final four of voting for the 2021 ESPY awards for best play.
After starting with 16 nominees, Jamil Roberts' 98th minute goal to hand The Herd its first national championship in soccer has made it to the final four against plays from the NFL and USA Gymnastics.
Cast your vote today and tune in to The ESPYS on July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Alumni Spotlight:
Sean Ferguson
Putting On A Show
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The music is loud and there is electricity in the air.
Just a few feet away, a sea of people bounce and sway in rhythm to the beat. The bass pounds your chest and smoke envelops the dance floor. Beams of light of all colors blast into the night sky and then disappear into the darkness. The music stops for just a moment and the crowd screams a familiar lyric.
For the next few moments, the music starts to build. Horns and synth kick in. Then drums and a piano rhythm intensify as the crowd begins to get louder. The ever-increasing sounds build to a fury, creating a palpable tension in the air. Suddenly the beat drops and the crowd goes wild, jumping and thrashing about with their hands waving in the air.
While this may seem like a scene straight out of one of the hottest nightclubs in L.A., New York, or Miami, it is a daily occurrence for one man who lives life behind the sound board creating the music that energizes thousands each year.
Sean Ferguson, better known as DJ iGnite in his home country of The Bahamas, is a professional disc jockey and music producer. He is the very well known and established resident DJ at the world renowned Albany, a luxury resort community on the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. Opened in 2010 by Tiger Woods and other PGA professionals, Albany sits on approximately 600 acres of oceanfront property on the southwestern end of the island and is considered one of the most exclusive resorts in the world.
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Alumni News, Chapters
and Member Benefits
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One Happy Herd!
Take a look at this #HerdAlum couple who met freshman year and married in North Carolina last month with many alumni by their side!
Show us how you're repping the Herd this summer! Tag @marshallu and @MarshallUAlumni with #MarshallUFamily!
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Join MUAA on LinkedIn Today! |
Interested in connecting with other Marshall University alumni and professionals or learning about the latest job openings and career opportunities?
Join the Marshall University Alumni Association LinkedIn group today!
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MU vanity license plate program
Marshall University alumni are eligibile for a vanity license plate in one of the following states:
Don't see your state listed? Contact us and we will try to make it happen!
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Did somebody say tailgate!? |
In June it was announced that Marshall University athletic events, in accordance with public health guidelines, will be allowed to operate at full capacity in the fall and for the duration of the 2021-22 athletic season.
That mean's full stands at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for football, Hoops Family Field for men's and women's soccer, and the Cam Henderson Center for basketball and volleyball!
And of course that also means one other thing - TAILGATING!
For fans here in Huntington, and at most away games (please check with local health guidelines in your area if attending a road game this season), we will once again be able to gather together and celebrate Marshall University on and off the field. Be on the lookout for tailgating information in the coming months as the fall football season begins to ramp up.
And for those attending Homecoming this year, listen up! The Marshall University Alumni Association's annual Marshall Family Tailgate during Homecoming will take place in a brand new spot this year right beside the stadium! Stay tuned for details. We can't wait to see you there!
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While the Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School is the new and exciting thing on campus, did you know that Marshall had a ground school and flight training program in the 1940s?
Flight instruction was carried out at the Chesapeake, Ohio, Airport across the river. Learn more about Marshall's aviation program at www.marshall.edu/aviation.
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Marshall Foundation
News and Updates
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Welcome Class of 2025!
Every year during new student orientation and at special events on the university calendar, the Marshall University Foundation makes an appearance with the "class banner" for each graduating class at Marshall University.
Students have a unique opportunity to sign their class banner during their first few years on campus and then see the banner proudly displayed during their graduating year at functions recognizing the class.
In June, students once again had an opportunity to sign the banner during the first round of new student orientation and will have additional opportunities during the next round of orientation July 14-16, August 5 and during Marshall's Week of Welcome.
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Marshall Rises is the university’s largest fundraising effort to date. The comprehensive campaign includes five pillars where support is most needed:
1. Enhancing the Student Experience
2. Expanding Academics and Growing our Reputation
3. Creating an Environment of Innovative Learning
4. Forming a Foundation of Research and Creative Discovery
5. Deepening Community Partnerships
In June 2021, 504 donors made 793 gifts towards the five pillars as we continue to exceed our goal of $150 million!
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Articles of Gratitude:
Spring 2021
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Check out the Spring 2021 edition of Articles of Gratitude!
In this issue we chat with alumnus Allen Hager, founder of Right at Home in Omaha, Nebraska, about what higher education means to him.
We also hear from Bella Schrader, a current student and member of the Stadelman Family Class of 2024 of Yeager Scholars, and recent graduate Finn Callahan who completed his Bachelor of Business Administration in management with a minor in marketing.
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Artifacts of Appreciation:
Trevor Rosenhagen
"Scholarships offer me the ability to attend college. If I were unable to get this scholarship, I would likely be unable to go to college right now or I would have to work for a year or two before saving enough," said finance major, Trevor Rosenhagen. "I was so excited when I received this scholarship because once I got it, I knew I would be able to attend the school that I always wanted to attend."
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West Virginia Governor's Schools being held on campus
The West Virginia Governor’s Honors Academy kicked off this week on Marshall University’s Huntington campus. The academy, reserved for some of the brightest high school students in the state, has taken on a bit of a unique look this year.
The three-week program for rising seniors is taking a hybrid approach that allows the GHA 2020 class to get in on the action. GHA 2020 students attended a weeklong session from June 20-25 on Marshall’s campus. GHA 2021 students will take part in a virtual week of sessions from June 28 – July 2 and then visit Marshall’s campus for a week from July 5 – July 10.
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Two members of the Marshall community named to the State Journal's 40 under 40
Zach Garrett, D.S.C. (left), of the Marshall University athletic training program and Matthew Christiansen, M.D., M.P.H., of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine have been named to The State Journal’s 2021 Generation Next, 40 Under 40.
The 40 Under 40 recognizes young West Virginians succeeding in business, education, government and various other professions. The Generation Next, 40 Under 40 is “the next wave of leaders guiding the state and its communities into the future,” according to the publication.
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Society of Yeager Scholars announces 35th class
Nine exceptional students have accepted offers to join the Society of Yeager Scholars, the top academic scholarship program at Marshall University. The class is the 35th in the program’s history and will be known as the Charlie and Alma Slack Class of 2025.
Among the students starting their studies this fall are one of the nation’s top-ranked congressional debaters, a future member of the No. 1-ranked Marshall men’s soccer team and the first Yeager Scholar whose parent is an alumna of the program. The nine students were selected after a competitive process that included a rigorous application and multiple interviews.
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Marshall Health, Mountain Health Network become first in West Virginia to treat heart failure patients using CCM therapy
Marshall Health and Mountain Health Network Cardiovascular Center of Excellence are among the first in the United States and the only site in West Virginia to use, CCMTM therapy, or cardiac contractility modulation, delivered by the Optimizer® system, to treat patients suffering from heart failure. The first patient treated in West Virginia with CCM therapy received the device implant by Marshall cardiologists in June as part of a post-approval device trial for CCM.
Heart failure, a condition in which the heart slowly weakens and is not able to adequately supply oxygen-rich blood, affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans and nearly 26 million people worldwide.
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Huntington, WV 25703
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